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I am well aware that it would be much easier to put every cat into one box and call it a day. After all, aren’t all cats the same? Even when we do differentiate cats, it is usually done by their breeds rather than their personalities. The same cannot be said for dogs as well all know how different every dog can be even if they are all adorable and lovable.
Well, to no one’s surprise cats have a lot of different conflicting personality traits as well. Some of them can be incredibly affectionate while others do not like to be touched at all. I know that when we think about cats, the first thing that pops into people’s minds is that they are incredibly selfish.
Please do understand that I am talking about people who don’t actually have cats. The truth is that a cat’s personality can be much more complex than just being lovable or aggressive. These are pretty extreme sides of the same coin. But what about all the middle parts? Well, the middle parts are what we are here to talk about today.
Now, no one cat is the same and all cats can have a variety of character traits but we are only going to talk about some habits that cats usually show overall. From the cats who always love to hunt around to the ones who are shy and usually like to stay indoors. While your cat may not fit one specific archetype, cats usually fall somewhat into the following types.
We will start with the human cat. What is the human cat, you may ask?
Well, I am not talking about some monstrosity where it is half human and half cat though that does sound intriguing. I am talking about cats who basically love being around humans. These kitties have become accustomed to being around humans and act more human that people I actually know. I am sure we are all well aware of people who call themselves pet parents and even have a tram with their pet in it. Well, these cats are the ones usually sitting in the tram and love all the affection they can get.
If you have a cat with these characteristics, you might have noticed that they can get extremely friendly even with strangers and don’t usually get anxious around people. These cats are the life of the party and whenever a gathering is happing at your house, you bet that this kitty is going to be the center of attention asking for pets wherever it goes.
And while people usually prefer these characteristics in a cat and call them the perfect pet, this characteristic can also have a downside. As these adorable kitties are much more likely to develop separation anxiety as they just love being around their humans. They constantly need affection to thrive and they make the best lap cats.
They also don’t like it when others pets are introduced into the house and it may take a little bit of time and a lot of care to get them accustomed to the change. After all, you belong to them and only them. I know I wanted a cat just like this one but I didn’t realize that my cat would stop eating every time I went out for a few hours.
These cats need to always have an eye on you and even if they aren’t constantly asking for pats, they do like to be in the same room as you and will follow you around. All in all, they are lovable creatures and just want a lot of love which we can easily provide. These cats also love to be held like babies and generally act like human babies even when they’re fully grown. If you want a cat that is playful and loves to be around you, this archetype might be the perfect fit for you. First-time owners generally prefer cats with these traits as well which is not surprising at all.
I am sure many of us have woken up with our cat purring beside our head only to realize that there is a dead rat on our bed. These cats just love to roam around in the wild and hunt. They may or may not do it for food and some of these kitties just like the thrill of the hunt and will usually not eat the prey they have hunted. These kitties also show their affection by giving you presents in the form of dead birds, insects, or animals.
They just can’t grasp the sentiment that we don’t want that. Even if it might be disgusting, at least the thought behind their behavior is adorable. These cats don’t usually like to stay indoors as they are used to going outside and hunting. This sort of behavior is usually because they are trying to show their affection in whatever way they can. And giving you dead animals is the only way they know how to show you their love. It would be quite a lovely sentiment if you didn’t have to wake up with a dead rat on your feet but we learn to love them anyway.
The hunter cat was a stray that you rescued and they just can’t stop themself from falling into old habits. They might have plenty of food and water now but they are used to hunting for their food and some things never go away. Now, all stray cats are not like this and some even like to stay indoors and become royalty in the house while others love to go and get dirty. These kitties while not fully aggressive are not exactly friendly when it comes to other pets.
They will show their dominant nature when it comes to other cats and try to let them know that this is their house and they should know their place. After all, you did save them and your love belongs to them. I may be making them sound bad but they are actually quite affectionate even with all their quirks.
After all, cats were always meant to be hunters and these kitties are just more in touch with their natural instincts. If you do decide to make a hunter cat an indoor one, you can give them the thrill of hunting with wind-up cat toys and the likes so that they get to fully enjoy what they like to do while also not hurting other animals.
These cats are the complete opposite of the human cat. Now I am not saying that they will not show affection towards you or care for you because they will but their way and intensity might be different than what you are used to. If an old cracky person was a cat, it would be this one.
These kitties don’t like to be touched frequently and will get aggressive if you try to pet them when they don’t want it. While some cats are okay with you touching sensitive spots like their back or stomach, these cats will let you know nicely that they do not like this. If you continue to do it, then what happens to your arms is not on them.
Now, these cats are highly independent beings and don’t usually suffer from any kind of separation anxiety. So even if you are gone for a day or so, they will not get that worried especially if they have all the food and water they need to thrive in the environment. Some cats do tend to turn into cranky cats as they get older which may be because of some illness like arthritis which causes them somewhat constant discomfort.
These cats are also extremely vocal about what they like or don’t like. This might be because they were strays at one point or they might just have this trait naturally. As long as you don’t bother them too much, they will love you and show you their affection.
I also have to point out that it is extremely rewarding when a crack kitty comes up to you of its own volition to ask for pats and attention. Sure, it might be because they want food but sometimes they just want attention. The feeling of being chosen by this cat is just one of the best feelings in the world and I cannot overstate how good it feels.
After all, this cracky kitty chose your lap to sit on. They are just used to doing things their own way and in no way does that mean that they don’t like you, they are just very picky. These cats are also not very friendly when it comes to strangers or other pets and will usually run away whenever someone they don’t fully trust comes close to them. But it is all worth it in the end for the moment you get to cuddle up with them.
These cats are similar to human cats with one caveat, they are much more likely to be friendly towards other animals. Do you know the one friendly and extroverted friend in the group who makes friends as easily as opening a bottle? Well, this cat is that friendly one.
These kitties are great for people who have more than one pet and can get depressed if they don’t have other cats to interact with. While the human-cat might not like the feeling of sharing you with other pets, this kitty just does not care about that and welcomes changes in the house.
Now, I am not saying that this cat with become friendly with every pet around the house but they will usually remain on good terms. They do like the affection of their human but they’d much rather spend their time with other cats if they have the choice and play around with them. After all, it is not as if we can keep up with a cat.
These cats can also be quite inquisitive and will come out to play any chance they get. They have an extreme amount of energy and the only way they know how to spend it is to play with other animals. So if you have a multi-pet household, this sort of cat is the way to go so everything in your household goes smoothly. These cats thrive in homes where there are a lot of things for them to play with like toys and cat trees.
They are just outgoing by nature and will usually like to be an outdoor cat rather than an indoor one unless they have a lot of other pets to play with as well. They just love socializing whether it be with humans or other animals.
These sorts of cats are the ones you either got when they were a kitten and they grew up in a multi-pet household or the ones that have stayed in a big shelter where they have gotten used to having a lot of animals around. They are incredibly loyal to their friends and humans and you will see them cuddling up to your other pets on a daily basis which is just an adorable sight to see.
These cats are basically the opposite of friendly cats and I don’t mean in a way that they are not affectionate. No, they love to show affection and care but they will choose only a few people they get along with rather than being affectionate with everyone. This type of cat can be incredibly skittish when it comes to strangers and will run away at the first sign of someone else in the house. You will usually find them hiding under the bed anytime someone comes into your home and they don’t usually get used to new people easily.
I have a shy cat myself and while he loves to be playful towards me and gets separation anxiety every time I go out, he also doesn’t get used to new people in the home even if they have been coming regularly for months. I wouldn’t really call them independent in a way the cranky kitty is but they will only come out of their shell a few times out of the whole day and just for the person they trust.
These cats are just inherently shy and while they can go away with socializing, this usually only develops in cats who have always stayed indoors and thus do not know how the outside world works. So their whole world is the human that they live with and that is it. However, it is the most rewarding feeling in the world when they choose you to show their affection and come towards you of their own volition. It might be a hard thing to earn their trust but when you do, it is phenomenal.
They don’t usually get along with other pets unless they have grown up together and might even choose to ignore the rest of the family in the house other than the person they care about. Now, this doesn’t have to be just one individual but it takes a lot of time to earn their trust. Some of these cats also behave this way if they have experienced bad owners in the past and so they deal with social anxiety. But if you help them broaden their scope, they make great pets and are loyal to a fault.
